Abstract

Objective- Type 1 diabetes youth and community controls were compared on functional outcomes. Relationships were examined between psychosocial variables at diagnosis and functional outcome 12 years later.

Results - Type 1 diabetes participants and controls reported similar levels of current well-being, but mental health referral rates over the previous 12 years were higher by 19%, and school completion rates were lower by 17% in youth with type 1 diabetes. Over one third were not currently receiving specialist diabetes care and this group had higher mental health service usage in the past (61% vs 33%) and lower current psychosocial well-being. Within the type 1 diabetes group, behaviour problems, high activity and low family cohesion at diagnosis predicted lower current well-being, but were not associated with metabolic control history. Poorer metabolic control was associated with higher mental health service usage.

Conclusions - Type 1 diabetes participants report similar levels of current psychosocial well-being to controls, but higher levels of psychiatric morbidity since diagnosis and lower school completion. Psychiatric morbidity was associated with poor metabolic control and failure to transition to tertiary adult diabetes care.